Polaris snowmobile racers on the new Polaris 440 IQ race sled achieved global domination recently as they captured the two premier snocross racing titles in Finland to complement the four championships won by North American racers on the WSA circuit.
Niko Korsumäki and Hannu Toppala took full advantage of the incredible power, handling and durability of the 440 IQ race sled to win season points titles in the Pro Open 800 and Pro Stock 440 classes, respectively. Both racers compete for Team Brandt on the extremely competitive European racing circuit.
The 440 IQ race chassis carried Polaris racers to podium finishes all season in the Finnish Pro Open 800 class. Polaris racers finished first, second and fourth in points, and there were four Polaris racers in the top 10, twice as many as were on the other North American brands combined.
Polaris had six racers in the top 20, 33% more than its closest North American brand competitor.
Champion Niko Korsumäki was dominant all season, winning five of eight events while no racer on a competitive North American brand won even once. He amassed 165 points to win the title, giving him a 75-point margin over the closest non-Polaris finisher. Polaris racer Hannu Toppala finished second in the points standings and Henry Toppala was fourth.
Hannu and Henry Toppala piloted Polaris race sleds to strong finishes in the Pro Stock 440 class as well. Hannu won the season points title in Pro Stock 440 while Henry repeated his Pro Open showing by finishing fourth. Hannu won five of the seven races while no other racer won more than once.
In the Pro Stock class, Polaris had three racers in the top 10 – three times as many as the other North American brands combined – and Polaris had five racers in the top 20 places.
“In North America and Europe, the 440 IQ proved itself over and over,” said Rager. “It won in all conditions and in a variety of racing classes. That’s the mark of a powerful, great-handling race sled that can withstand the rigors of a full racing season. It was a great first season for the 440 IQ. We’re extremely proud of the guys who developed the sled and the racers and teams who campaigned it.”
As it showed all season in WSA racing across the snowbelt, the Polaris 440 IQ race sled is the clear performance and innovation leader on the racing circuit. The race sled uses a powerful Liberty 440 liquid-cooled twin that delivers incredible torque and acceleration to secure holeshots and give Polaris an edge as they run corner to corner.
The Liberty 440 is also the basis for the all-new Liberty 600 HO engine found in several 2006 Polaris models. This new 600 mill is destined to set the new benchmark for 600 class performance.
The 440 IQ sled is built on the innovative Polaris IQ Chassis and variable caster IQ Independent Front Suspension, which positions major elements such as the suspension, engine and rider to create the ideal balance of power and control.
This same ingenious chassis is the backbone for several 2006 Polaris models including the class-leading 600 HO Fusion; turbo charged FST Switchback and deep snow king 700 RMK. Each combines the industry leading innovations and suspension technologies found on the IQ Chassis with proven Liberty power to dominate the trails.
